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The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com


CHAPTER VIII.

1. On the day of atonement, food, and drink, and washing, and anointing, and the sandal latchet, 3 and marriage duties, are restricted. "But the king and bride are allowed to wash their face, and the woman after childbirth may wear sandals." The words of R. Eleazar, but the Sages forbid them.

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2. The person who eats the size of a big date and its grain, and drinks a jawful, is liable to punishment. All edible things are united for the measure of the date, and all drinkable things are united for the measure of the jawful. Eating and drinking are not united.

3. He who eats and drinks unwittingly, is only liable for one sin-offering. If he eat and work, he is liable for two sin-offerings. He who eats what is disagreeable for food, and drinks what is disagreeable for drinking, and he who drinks fish brine, or salt gravy, is free.

4. They do not afflict young children in the day of atonement, but they coax them one or two years before, that they may be accustomed to the commandments.

5. If the pregnant woman be affected by the odour, they give her food, till her strength return. To the sick person they give food by order from the physicians. If there be no physicians, they give him food at his own demand until he say "it is enough."

6. Him who is affected with blindness, they fed even with unclean things, till his eyes got the power of vision. Him who is bitten by a mad dog, they fed not with the caul of his liver. But R. Mathia Ben Charash said, "it is allowed;" and again said R. Mathia Ben Charash, "to him who had throat complaint they administered medicine in his mouth on the Sabbath day, since there is uncertainty of life, and all uncertainty of life abrogates the Sabbath."

7. "On whomsoever an old ruin falls, if there be a doubt, whether one be under it or not; if there be doubt, whether he be alive or dead; if there be a doubt, whether he be a foreigner or an Israelite?" "They open over him the heap. If they find him alive, they open fully, but if dead, they leave him."

8. The sin-offering, and the offering for known transgression make atonement. Death and the day of atonement with repentance make atonement. Repentance atones for light transgressions, for commands positive and negative. But grave offences are suspended, till the day of atonement come, and it will atone.

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9. He who said "I will sin and repent—I will sin and repent?" "They did not give him the opportunity of repentance." "I will sin, and the day of atonement shall atone?" "The day of atonement makes no atonement." Transgressions between man and The Place 1 the day of atonement expiates. Transgressions between man and his neighbour, the day of atonement does not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. This R. Eleazar Ben Azariah explained "From all thy sins before the LORD thou shalt be cleansed." Transgressions between man and The Place, the day of atonement expiated. Transgressions between man and his companion, the day of atonement did not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. Said R. Akiba, "Happy are ye, Israel! before whom are ye to be pure? Who will purify you? Your Father in heaven, as is said, 'I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.' Then said the Fountain of Israel, the LORD, "As the fountain purifies the defiled, so the Holy One, blessed be He, purifies Israel."


Footnotes

133:3 Sandals were, however, allowed where there was fear of serpents and scorpions. Woollen socks might be used.

135:1 i.e. God omnipresent. The Jews in a spirit of reverence use the words "Place" and the "Name" to denote God. In reading they do not now pronounce the word Jehovah, but substitute Adonai for it; and when Jehovah is followed by the word Adonai they then use the word Elohim. The true pronunciation of the Name has been a subject of much contention. It has been variously given, as Yeheveh, Yehveh, Yahveh, Yahavah, Yahaveh, and Yehovah. When it was uttered on the Day of Atonement the worshippers "fell on their faces" in reverence for it (vi. 2). It was spoken for the last time in the Temple by the mouth of Simon the Just. Henceforward, the Gemara says whoever attempts to pronounce it shall have no part in the world to come.


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